All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 20

20. Elixir – 2

“According to this map, there should be stairs leading down here….”

Nothing like this had ever happened before.

The first floor had already been explored, and a map had been made.

And if something like this *had* happened, a report would have been filed, and we would have received a warning.

But I had never heard of such a thing.

While everyone was panicking, Kirke reported.

It wasn’t a bad thing.

It just meant we could get more lunar energy.

But everyone except Ian was seriously panicking at the change.

“What is it? S, suddenly the magic power of the dungeon has gotten stronger?”

As Graejin said, the magic density of the dungeon’s first floor became even thicker.

At this rate, it could be said to be on par with the deepest parts of the dungeon.

“Everyone, get ready.”

Valentine drew her weapon with a stiff expression.

“We’re getting out of the dungeon right now.”

As she spoke quietly, footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Could it be another party?

But there were too many footsteps, and it felt ominous.

“What is this….”

-Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!

Something hazy was visible at the end of the hallway.

Graejin focused and was horrified.

“T, that!”

It was a skeleton.

But not on the small scale as before.

At least two hundred or more.

The skeletons filling the hallway were walking in an orderly manner, holding weapons.

“V, Valentine Instructor?!!”

“Don’t worry. It’s just skeletons….”

That’s when it happened.

The advancing skeletons stopped.

Everyone swallowed hard as they pointed the weapons they were holding.

-I have a proposal.

A metallic voice echoed from among the skeletons.

Valentine gripped her weapon tightly.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

Blue aura filled the sword.

As if stopping her from rushing out, the voice spoke in a rather gentle tone.

But the content was not gentle at all.

-Hand over the elf. Then I will let the rest of you go.

She flinched.

As the voice ended, the skeletons began to gather even more.

-Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!

“From the back too!!”

Before they knew it, they were surrounded.

Numerous skeletons pointed their weapons, their red eyes flashing inside their skulls.

-Hand over the elf.

“What did you do with the other elves?”

Ian asked, and the voice paused.

But only for a moment.

The owner of the silent voice spoke slowly.

-I have him.

“What about the others? Did you kill them??”

-That’s not true. I didn’t need to take unnecessary lives, so I put them to sleep. So, I propose.

The owner of the voice spoke politely.

-Just hand over the elf. Then I will release them and you.

“What are you going to do with Valentine Instructor?”

There was no answer to that question.

As the skeletons came closer, Valentine said without a moment’s hesitation.

“I’ll go. As an instructor, I have a duty to protect you.”

“You don’t have to, just stay back.”

“Excuse me?”

Ian pulled the flustered Valentine and pushed her towards the group, then stepped forward.

“I don’t care what you are.”

What was important was that he could feel a fairly strong lunar energy from those skeletons, and from the owner of the voice.

-You seek death yourself.

As the stopped skeletons moved, Ian happily ran towards the countless skeletons – no, elixirs.

-Crackle!! Crunch! Shatter!

Like a tiger in a flock of sheep, Ian rampaged.

He quickly defeated a group of skeletons, and as the skeletons filled the empty space, he looked back and said.

“Graejin, can you put up a barrier?”

“I can, but mine is for protecting artifacts….”

Unlike Haryun’s barrier, Graejin’s barrier was stronger, but entry and exit were not free, and the outside could not be seen from the inside.

That was the same as not being able to grasp the danger outside.

“Put it up.”

“You’re going to fight alone?”

“Ian Student! It’s dangerous!”

Valentine was worried because she had seen Ian fight.

He fought really well.

He didn’t get tired, and he got stronger as he fought.

But that shouldn’t be the case.

She couldn’t let him fight alone when she didn’t even know who the owner of the voice was.

Besides, Ian was just a student of the academy.

“I will join you too!”

Ian stared at her and shook his head.

“It’s better to fight alone.”

*So, don’t disturb me from eating elixirs and stay put.*

But Valentine was about to join the fight even though Ian didn’t allow it.

As she put aura into her sword, Ian grabbed Valentine, pulled her back, and said to Graejin.

“Put up the barrier.”

“Ian! Are you okay?!”

Python, Dreck, and Orca shouted roughly.

Although they were in different classes, Class D was not on bad terms with Class B.

As such, they shouted with goodwill and worry, but Ian only took the pouches they gave him.

In the meantime, dozens of skeletons fired arrows.

As Ian knocked them all down with his sword, Graejin raised his staff.

“Wait…!!”

Valentine tried to go out again, but the barrier had already been erected.

As a gray-white, opaque wall was created, a mocking voice echoed.

-How long do you think that mere barrier can protect you?

“I don’t intend to drag it out.”

Now he felt relieved.

Ian glanced at Myane, who was clinging to his shoulder.

Myane was not afraid even in the face of numerous skeletons.

“Myamya~.”

“Dispel [remove] the barrier when I signal.”

“Mya!”

While Myane focused, perking up her tail and ears, the skeletons came within Ian’s range.

“Hup!”

With a low shout, Ian moved his internal energy [qi or chi, the vital energy believed to circulate in the body].

As a result of the increased internal energy of the Demonic Divine Art thanks to the lunar energy gathered while catching the skeletons, he could now access:

Demonic Divine Art, Chapter of Destruction.

It allowed him to use a new technique of the Demonic Divine Art that he had not been able to use until now.

-Kwaaaang!!

The energy of destroying stars that was formed on the sword instantly turned the skeletons in the hallway to dust.

And a considerable amount of lunar energy was absorbed.

-You bastard!!

“Myayaaaa!!”

A fireball and a mass of energy were fired from the hallway, but they were nullified by Myane’s cry.

In the meantime, other skeletons appeared again.

Ian was delighted to see them holding weapons, imbued with lunar energy.

“I don’t know who you are, but I’ll enjoy eating you.”

He had turned hundreds of skeletons into dust.

But far from being tired, Ian, who was in even better condition, grinned and lightly shook his sword.

“It seems like the number has decreased a bit? Why don’t you summon more?”

As he said, the number of skeletons had decreased quite a bit.

The skeletons that had densely filled the hallway were now seen to be sparsely spaced.

-……You. What the hell are you?

“You keep talking while hiding; why don’t you show yourself soon?”

Ian slammed the sword he was holding into the floor.

Demonic Divine Art, Chapter of Destruction.

Thunderclap.

An intangible energy was fired like an explosion, sweeping through the skeletons.

Ian smiled as he absorbed the lunar energy that had accumulated again.

The one who had been hidden by the skeletons until now was standing there.

He barely blocked the Thunderclap and lowered the sword he had raised for defense.

“……You weren’t an ordinary guy.”

“Did you think I was an ordinary guy after I did all this? Are your eyes full of knots [are you blind]?”

Ian retorted briefly and stared at him.

The densest lunar energy in this dungeon was strongly felt from him, especially from that sword.

Now that he had found what he was aiming for, all that was left was to take it.

“If it’s a strong person’s life like you, it doesn’t matter if it’s not an elf. I will also take your life force.”

“The lives of others… and even taking the lives of your own kind as your main source…….”

He had a lot of experience with this in his many reincarnations.

Kirke mentioned the worlds he had experienced while taking Ian’s words.

Ian nodded and pointed his sword.

“You. Were you aiming for immortality through cannibalism? Is that why you’re trying to get your hands on the elves? To steal their life force and maintain immortality?”

“How did you know that?”

“I’ve seen a lot of guys with faces like yours.”

At Ian’s words, he touched his face.

Not only his face but also his ears, which symbolized the elves, were shriveled up like mummies.

He touched his face and bit his cracked lips tightly.

‘I’ve lost too much life force.’

He had to keep consuming magic power to summon skeletons.

As a result, the life force he had plundered until now had been drained, and that’s how he became like this.

He lowered the hand he had taken to his hideous face and pointed his sword.

“I can restore it. If I use that elf, the elf I caught, and your life force.”

“Try it if you can.”

“Vampiric!!”

As he shouted, dark red energies poured towards Ian.

But with Myane’s cry, the energies were scattered like other magic.

“Keuk! Damn it!”

In the meantime, Ian’s sword, which had already sprung out, aimed for his head.

The elf blocked his attack with a shield and created distance.

But Ian was faster.

-Clang!!

“To break the shield!!”

“What’s so great about it.”

The shield was broken with just one sword strike.

The mummy elf staggered as if he had been hit by the backlash, creating an opening.

“Head over. Head [you’re dead].”

*I’ll end that pathetic and miserable life.*

As Ian sneered and swung his sword, he barely avoided the attack and rolled on the floor.

“You……!”

-Woo Woong!!

Aura-like energy rose on the sword held by the enraged mummy elf.

At that moment, an extremely large amount of malice and lunar energy was felt.

‘This is another pleasant miscalculation.’

The lunar energy emanating from the sword was mixed with malice.

They were wary of each other and amplifying the energy.

Ian smiled and held out his hand.

“Give me that sword.”

“You crazy bastard. Grimghall!! Unleash the illusion!!”

A red light flashed from the sword.

Despite being directly hit by the light, Ian ran as if he was not affected at all.

The mummy elf was nervous when he saw that, but the power in Ian’s sword was much weaker than before.

“Hehehe…… You’re still being affected by the illusion!!”

*That’s not it.*

*I’m just hitting it gently in case the sword breaks.*

Ian snorted at him, who was showing confidence, and twisted his wrist.

At that moment, his sword moved strangely.

-Swish!!

“Keuk!!”

The arm holding the sword was cut off with a single light change.

Ian grabbed the arm that flew into the air, took out only the sword, and threw the dry firewood-like arm back.

“Kueeeuk……!! Y, you……! You monster……! Blink!!”

He screamed in pain after his arm was cut off and the sword was taken away, and then used magic.

As his body disappeared in an instant, leaving afterimages, Ian said coldly.

“Chase him.”